Maligayang Pasko: The Filipino Christmas Traditions Noon at Ngayon

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




Christmas is a season of joy, hope, and love. This is the time of the year when we put aside our differences and come together to celebrate life. For Filipinos, Christmas is a very exceptional time as we have our unique traditions that make the joyous season more special.

Through the years, the Philippines’ Christmas celebrations are always a time for family, feast, and joy. Filipino Christmas traditions have changed over the years, but some things remain the same. Here's a look at how Filipino Christmas traditions have changed over the years, and what remains the same.

One of the most popular Filipino Christmas symbol is the parol. A parol is a star-shaped lantern that is traditionally made from bamboo and decorated with colorful paper. In the past, parols were used to guide people to church on Christmas Eve. Today, they are used as decorations and are often seen hanging in front of homes and businesses.

The beginning of “Ber” months in the country is always a sign that Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas songs and carols are played in every street, every household, transportations, malls, it's literally being played everywhere! Christmas in the Philippines would not be complete without these sounds of carols being played and sung. Caroling is a popular Christmas tradition in the Philippines, and it is not uncommon to see groups of carolers going door-to-door to sing Christmas carols – only here in the Philippines!

All over the world, Christmas gift-giving is often done in a group setting, with family, friends, and co-workers gathering to exchange gifts. But here in the Philippines, we have a tradition known as "Monito-Monita". It typically involves Secret Santa-style gift exchange, where each person draws the name of another person in the group and gives them a gift.

And to give us more gift-giving ideas this Christmas season, the WORLD BAZAAR FESTIVAL is back on-ground at the World Trade Center Manila from December 10-19, 2022. As one of the country’s top shopping destinations, the World Bazaar Festival 2022 provides a wide array of perfect gift ideas for our loved ones. Find the latest trendy wears, clothing and accessories available at Woobie’s Designers’ Avenue and Celebrity Pavilion. And to set your shopping mood, World Bazaar Festival also prepared a food crawl avenue called Woobie’s Food World and Woobie’s Goodies which delivers countless food choices and showcases everyday food feast at the convenience of bazaar shoppers.

The World Bazaar Festival continues to be the longest Christmas Charity Bazaar in the country today. For the benefit of ABS CBN Foundation, the event organizer, Worldbex Services International, is true to their commitment towards Social Responsibility and charitable duties. The World Bazaar Festival continues to remind all of us that Christmas is indeed a season of joy, hope, and love and it will always be in the heart of every Filipino all over the World.

The spirit of gift-giving is a very notable Christmas culture in the Philippines. Some traditions may have changed over the years, but some things remain the same. Families still gather together to celebrate, hear the mass and complete the “Simbang Gabi,” eat Noche Buena as one family and exchange Love for one another. Christmas is still a time for feast, and traditional Filipino dishes are still enjoyed by many. Indeed, Christmas in the Philippines is incomparable among every country in the world – for Filipinos, PASKO is truly a time for Jesus, family, feast, and joy.

WORLD BAZAAR FESTIVAL is organized by Worldbex Services International.

Website: https://worldbazaarfestival.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldbazaarfestival

Instagram: https://instagram.com/worldbazaarfestival?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Road crashes kill 1,670 children yearly

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Children unveil a mural to urge government and stakeholders to commit to safer roads for vulnerable road users.]

Public interest law group ImagineLaw on Sunday urged the government to ‘save 1,670 children’s lives yearly by preventing road crashes in the Philippines’. According to the group, the public should be alarmed that 1,670 Filipino children and young people (0-19 years old) are killed by road crashes every year, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“Injuries and deaths due to road crashes are preventable,” said Atty. Daphne Marcelo, ImagineLaw’s Project Manager for Road Safety, during a mural unveiling for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims at a children’s park in Manila.

In September this year, a 4-year-old girl was killed after being hit by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Malate. In the same month, another 4-year-old child and his father were killed because of a road crash in South Cotabato involving more than a dozen vehicles.

“The government, in partnership with stakeholders, should continue improving road infrastructure, updating policies and enforcing traffic laws to make sure they are inclusive of children’s safety,” said Atty. Marcelo. “Playing outside or commuting to school should not be a death sentence for children,” she said.

“Every [road] death is preventable,” added Robert Siy of Move As One Coalition, a transport and mobility advocacy group. “[W]e should not pull back on our road safety campaign until we bring the number of Filipinos killed or injured from road crashes down to zero,” he also said.

According to ImagineLaw, blaming parents solely for road crash deaths among children is ‘unproductive, misguided, and myopic’. “Everyone–government and community leaders, parents and teachers, and road users–has a role to play in making our streets safe for children,” Atty. Marcelo said. “Our road system should be designed to protect the lives of the most vulnerable road users such as children and pedestrians,” she added.

“Yung ideal na kalsada po para sa isang bata na may kapansanan ay magkaroon po ng extra lane at railings (The ideal street for a child with disability should have extra lane and railings),” Hannah Estepa, a 15-year-old visually-impaired child-advocate from the Youth Alliance for Road Discipline, urged the government.

“Our streets are far too hostile for a child to even simply exercise their right to play,” said Nicole Anne Cobarrubias of AltMobility, another advocacy group. “In our commitment to building safer streets, we will be more firm in prioritizing children's safety above motor vehicles,” she also said.

2023 Hult Prize OnCampus Program: Everything You Need To Know

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


by Denise Audrey T. Enriquez


A streak of good news for aspiring Filipino changemakers, as the world’s largest student movement organization for social entrepreneurship will be kicking off its annual challenge this coming November 2022 to be hosted online by De La Salle University in Taft, Manila.

The Hult Prize Foundation has launched its OnCampus Phase, happening in over 121 countries around the world and 3,000 universities and campuses. De La Salle University will be hosting its local edition for its students to tackle this year’s challenge entitled Redesigning Fashion in hopes of changing the world through social enterprise.

This year’s challenge probes on the adversities that arise from contributing to fast fashion, which often include social problems such as depletion of non-renewable resources, unethical manufacturing, excessive energy and water-use, and so much more. These contentious issues were addressed head-on by 13 contending groups through their innovative social startup ideas. These were further cultivated during the expert-led Training Session Series offered by the organization preceding its main event, the Competition Pitch Day, which will be held on November 26, 2022 on Zoom.

During the initial phase of the Global $1M USD Competition, the OnCampus Program takes place in around 2,000 college campuses around the world, on five different continents. Teams competing strive to create a social startup concept which is done through training and mentoring sessions. Contenders present their ideas to CEOs, founders, and managing directors of Philippine companies during the program's competition pitch day. The last team standing will power through to represent DLSU and the Philippines at the Impact Summits that will take place at the regional level all over the world.

For more than a decade, the Hult Prize Foundation has been transforming how young people envision their own possibilities as impact leaders of change in the world around them. Originally founded as a one-million-dollar prize startup program, the organization today is the worldwide leader in impact education and has trained and graduated more than two-million alumni across 121 countries. Indeed, it is no wonder why the organization has been considered the “Nobel Prize for Students” given its prestigious honor along with the sizable social impact that comes with the glory of facing the annual challenges.

The winners of this OnCampus event will automatically advance to compete in its Quarter Final Phase and continue on the run for its one-of-a-kind award in seed capital of 1M USD to change the world. “Sustainable social impact starts with just one idea and as the 6th iteration of the OnCampus Program in DLSU, we’ve strived to support and help cultivate these budding ideas the best we can. We have all the confidence that our Top 5 finalists will showcase the business acumen partnered with the community-centered values that Lasallians aim to embody. We hope you watch just how Lasallians can change the world!” Mariah Camille Oliveros, the current Campus Director of Hult Prize at DLSU, said.

Be in the know with the concluding competition day by staying tuned for updates on HPDLSU’s social media pages.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hultprizeatDLSU/Instagram: https://instagram.com/hultprizedlsu